You didn’t have to, Evaline repeated. And Valve stared back into her deep, brown eyes with conviction. She did have to. The dark mare always did what she had to do—she must. The circumstances were convoluted yes, but they were able to be corrected. All hope was not lost for the golden girl, and Valve knew she was able to remedy the situation. So why wouldn’t she? It felt good to be capable, and as stoic as the Akhal-Teke often appeared, she was still driven by the same instincts that drive us all—satisfaction was of course one of them.

“I do what I can,” she offered simply. “And I am glad you decided to stay here.”

It wasn’t a lie. She did care for the mare, as much as Valve could care for another. She made for pleasant company, and best of all, Valve had earned her loyalty—a priceless quality when it came to survival in this world. It didn’t matter that Evaline was flawed. Perhaps when she was younger, Valve would have judged her more harshly for the decisions she made, but with time came a deeper understanding of the complexities of life—and how Valve could use them to her (and others’) advantage.

VALVE
slenderman x black heart machine